A Systematic Review and Independent Patient Data Meta-Analysis of Prophylactic Mesh Augmentation for Incisional Hernia Prevention after Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Surgery (I-PREVENT-AAA) A Collaborative European Hernia Society Project.

Objective: To analyze the effectiveness of prophylactic mesh augmentation (PMA) of the abdominal wall following open aortic aneurysm repair as compared to primary sutured closure in preventing incisional hernia (IH) formation by performing an individual patient-data meta-analysis (IPDMA).

Summary Background Data: IH is a prevalent complication after abdominal surgery, especially in high-risk groups. PMA of the abdominal wall has been studied as a preventive measure for IH-formation, but strong recommendations are lacking.

Research priorities for the most premature babies born <25 weeks' gestation: results of an international priority setting partnership.

Objective: The James Lind Alliance (JLA) Most Premature Babies Priority Setting Partnership aimed to identify the most important areas for research for infants born <25 weeks' gestation.

Design: Employing standardised JLA methodology, questions for research were sought from stakeholders via an online survey. Summary questions were formed and checked against existing evidence, with unanswered questions compiled into a second shortlisting survey for prioritisation by stakeholders.

Anisotropy visualisation from X-ray diffraction of biological apatite in mixed phase calcified tissue samples.

X-ray diffraction is widely used to characterise the mineral component of calcified tissue. Broadening of the diffraction peaks yields valuable information on the size of coherently diffracting domains, sometimes loosely described as crystallite size or crystallinity. These domains are markedly anisotropic, hence a single number describing their size is misleading.

Workload, Availability of Diagnostic Tools, and Treatment Options for Urinary Incontinence and Other Pelvic Floor Disorders in Women: An Online Survey on Practice and Challenges Faced by Providers of Urogynaecological Healthcare in Ten African Countries.

Introduction And Hypothesis: Pelvic dysfunction, including urinary incontinence, significantly impacts the quality of life of affected women, diminishing their freedom and dignity. In many African countries, challenges such as limited funding, competing health priorities and cultural stigma on pelvic health further restrict access to care. This information gap may hinder the effective design and implementation of interventions aimed at improving urogynaecological healthcare delivery.

Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on diabetic retinopathy and referral levels in the English National Health Service Diabetic Eye Screening Programme.

Aims: The aim was to determine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on diabetic retinopathy and referral rates in the English National Health Service (NHS) Diabetic Eye Screening Programme (DESP).

Methods: Non-patient identifiable data are submitted centrally from the 57 regional centres in the NHS DESP on a quarterly basis and analysed using STATA, comparing 01/04/2019-31/03/2020 and 01/04/2021-31/03/2022. Patient characteristics were analysed from National Diabetes Audit (NDA) data.

UK national observational cohort study investigating Tolerance of Anti-cancer Systemic Therapy in the Elderly: the TOASTIE study.

Objective: The Cancer and Aging Research Group (CARG) score was developed to predict severe chemotherapy-induced toxicity risk in older adults; validation study results have varied. The Tolerance of Anti-cancer Systemic Therapy in the Elderly study sought to evaluate the CARG score prospectively in a chemotherapy-naïve UK population.

Methods And Analysis: This multicentre, prospective, observational study recruited patients aged ≥65 years commencing first-line chemotherapy for any solid organ malignancy or setting.

Elevated serum vitamin B12 concentrations in a patient with pancreatic exocrine insufficiency.

This case describes a patient with pancreatic exocrine insufficiency and persistently elevated serum vitamin B12 concentrations that were not due to supplementation or associated with hepatic or hematological pathology. Laboratory investigations suggested the presence of macro-B12 as the cause of this patient's raised serum vitamin B12. Macro-B12 is often formed when vitamin B12-vitamin binding proteins (transcobalamin and haptocorrin) complex with immunoglobulins.

Comparison of Outcomes of Deep Sclerectomy, Canaloplasty, and Viscocanaloplasty: A Multi-Centred Study.

Prcis: Deep sclerectomy (DS) and canaloplasty provide better intraocular pressure (IOP) control than viscocanalostomy. DS required less glaucoma medications but more interventions to reach target IOP.

Purpose: To compare real-world outcomes of three non-penetrating glaucoma surgery (NPGS) techniques.

The British Geriatrics Society's position on assisted dying.

In response to increased focus on the issue of Assisted Dying (AD) in the UK due to the presentation of The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill 2024-25 [1] and bills before parliaments in the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Scotland, the British Geriatric Society (BGS) recently developed a position statement opposing legalisation of AD in the UK [2]. We set out our key reasoning behind this position, namely the current adverse health and social care context and significant concern about whether effective safeguards can be created to protect older people with complex needs from undue harms. The BGS asks for improved, personalised, multidisciplinary care for older people at the end of their lives, including high-quality palliative and end-of-life care.

Paramedian Unilateral 'Bitubular' Endoscopic Access for a Far Lateral Disc Herniation: A Novel Approach for Far Lateral Lumbar Pathologies.

We present a novel technique to approach far lateral lumbar pathologies using a bitubular, biportal endoscopic system and a paramedian approach. Background: Conventional approaches for lumbar far lateral discectomy range from open approaches to newer minimally invasive approaches such as tubular discectomy and single portal endoscopic discectomy. We present a case of a patient suffering with a left L3-4 and left L4-5 extraforaminal disc herniation who was treated successfully with a left sided bitubular, biportal endoscopic 2 level far lateral discectomy.

Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Endoscopic Modalities for Colorectal Cancer Screening in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis.

Background & Aims: Long-standing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) increases the risk of colonic neoplasia, necessitating effective screening strategies. This network meta-analysis compared the efficacy and safety between different endoscopic modalities in the high-definition (HD) era.

Methods: We searched CENTRAL, ClinicalTrials.

C-reactive protein (CRP) and otorrhoea as prognosticate markers for necrotising otitis externa treatment response: based on a retrospective cohort study of 62 patients.

Background: Recurrence rate of necrotising otitis externa (NOE) after treatment is 15-20%. This is mainly due to a lack of reliable clinical indicator for the resolution of disease.

Aims: We aim to assess the predictability of the otalgia, otorrhoea and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in a large cohort of sixty-two patients for treatment outcome.

Dances with doves, hawks and eagles: Realising the potential of emotion during simulation.

.@russell_peek argues that simulation‐based education offers an opportunity to enhance learning because it evokes an emotional response in learners, rather than despite it doing so.

Update from 2010 (standard operating procedure): protocol for the 2024 British Society of Gastroenterology Guidelines on colorectal surveillance in inflammatory bowel disease.

Introduction: The evolving landscape of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) necessitates refining colonoscopic surveillance guidelines. This study outlines methodology adopted by the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) Guideline Development Group (GDG) for updating IBD colorectal surveillance guidelines.

Methods And Analysis: The 'Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation' (GRADE) approach, as outlined in the GRADE handbook, was employed.

Optimising Shifted Excitation Raman Difference Spectroscopy (SERDS) for application in highly fluorescent biological samples, using fibre optic probes.

Fibre optic probe based Raman spectroscopy can deliver molecular compositional analysis of a range of diseases. However, some biological tissues exhibit high levels of fluorescence which limit the utility of the technique, particularly when the fluorescence induces CCD etaloning, which can be particulalry hard to remove in subsequent analysis. Furthermore, use of fibre probes can result in silica signals superimposed on the biological Raman signals.

Cilomilast Modulates Rhinovirus-Induced Airway Epithelial ICAM-1 Expression and IL-6, CXCL8 and CCL5 Production.

Cilomilast, a phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) selective inhibitor, has anti-inflammatory effects in vitro and in vivo and reduces COPD exacerbations. We tested the hypothesis that cilomilast inhibits virus-induced airway epithelial intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression and inflammatory cytokine/chemoattractants, IL-6, CXCL8, and CCL5 production in vitro. BEAS-2B bronchial epithelial cells were incubated with 0.

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists' National Ophthalmology Database study of cataract surgery: report 19, a comparative study of the cost and carbon footprint of local anaesthesia techniques for cataract surgery.

Background: Understanding the financial and environmental impact of clinical pathways is important for designing sustainable services. This study aimed to compare the cost and carbon footprint of sub-Tenon's and topical anaesthesia for cataract surgery, benchmark minimum topical anaesthesia utilisation rates, and quantify the benefits of increased topical anaesthesia usage in the United Kingdom National Health Service (NHS).

Methods: The cost and carbon footprint of products and staffing for topical and sub-Tenon's anaesthesia for cataract surgery were calculated and applied to National Ophthalmology Database audit data.

System transferability of Raman-based oesophageal tissue classification using modern machine learning to support multi-centre clinical diagnostics.

Background: The clinical potential of Raman spectroscopy is well established but has yet to become established in routine oncology workflows. One barrier slowing clinical adoption is a lack of evidence demonstrating that data taken on one spectrometer transfers across to data taken on another spectrometer to provide consistent diagnoses.

Methods: We investigated multi-centre transferability using human oesophageal tissue.

Intravesical Therapies for Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections: A Systematic Review.

Recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTIs) present a significant clinical challenge, particularly due to the associated overuse of antibiotics and the rise in antimicrobial resistance. This systematic review evaluates the current literature on the use of intravesical therapies as an alternative treatment for rUTIs. Two established primary therapies are reviewed: glycosaminoglycan (GAG) instillations and intravesical antibiotic instillations.

Charting the Characteristics of Public Health Approaches to Preventing Violence in Local Communities: A Scoping Review of Operationalised Interventions.

Interpersonal violence is a global driver of significant physical and mental ill health. Violence prevention is now a public health priority, and there have been international calls for the development of public health approaches to address this problem. This systematic scoping review identifies the scope of the literature and characteristics of operationalised public health approaches to prevent violence in communities.